The annual Home Improvement and Preservation (HIPP) application process is underway.  

HIPP is a repayment loan program for low and moderate-medium-income homeowners to make needed improvements and preserve affordable housing for their single-family houses.   

Applications are available until Sept. 11. Paper applications are only accepted this year and can be obtained from visiting four libraries throughout the city: 

Applications can also be downloaded on the city’s website.  

Submitted applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis on Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the four libraries listed. No early or incomplete applications will be accepted.  

To learn more about HIPP and determine if you qualify, the city is hosting educational virtual and in-person workshops that include the program’s requirements and complete the application successfully.  

A virtual question and answer session is scheduled for Aug. 17, from 4 to 5 p.m. Click to register. 

In-person gatherings are scheduled for: 

  • Hampton-Illinois Branch Library on Aug. 17, from 11 a.m. to noon 
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Branch Library on Aug. 17, from 2–3 p.m.  
  • Pleasant Grove Branch Library on Aug. 17, from 3–4 p.m.  

Due to space limitations, contact the library before Aug. 17 to register. 

HIPP offers a Major Rehabilitation Program and Housing Reconstruction Program for qualified homeowners.  

The Major Rehabilitation Program includes a “low-cost, forgivable loan to the homeowner that won’t exceed the maximum allowable funding level of $50,000.” 

The Housing Reconstruction Program provides aid in the form of a loan for home repairs and construction.  

For more information about HIPP and to see if you qualify, visit Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization, call 214-670-3644, or email.